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HI Newsletter Vol. 1, Issue 4, sent 31 Oct 2003
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Welcome to the 4th issue of the HealthInsite Newsletter. I hope you
all survived the school holidays! Have you managed to get out and
enjoy the spring weather? Exercise and good nutrition are critical
factors in managing this month's topic - diabetes. Diabetes is a common
condition that contributes to early death, illness and disability
and it's on the rise worldwide. In Australia almost 1 million people
have diabetes and around half don't even know that they have it. A
test to find out is really simple but some people don't realise how
serious diabetes is, while others are frightened of a disease that
might involve daily injections and would rather not know.
With diabetes, ignorance is definately not bliss. For most people
with diabetes relatively simple changes to lifestyle may be all that
is needed but like most other chronic diseases early detection is
important. We hope that the resources available on HealthInsite will
help you to understand what diabetes is, how to recognise symptoms
and how you can reduce your risks.
A big thankyou for all your suggestions about a name for the Newsletter.
Keep sending your suggestions over the next couple of months and
we'll make a decision in the new year. If you sent us your mailing
address a copy of '10 Tips for Safer Health Care', produced by the
Safety and Quality Council, will be on its way to you.
Please feel free to also let us know if you have any problems or if
you have any suggestions for future editions by sending an email to
mailto:healthinsite.feedback@health.gov.au
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IN THIS ISSUE Vol 1, Issue 4
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=> Diabetes - A serious problem in Australia
=> Type 1 or Type 2- what does it mean?
=> Diabetes - Are you at risk? What are the symptoms?
=> World Diabetes Day - 14 November 2003
=> Your Feedback - Treatment Advice
=> Partner Spotlight - Child and Youth Health
=> Latest Resources
=> Hot Tip - Topic Pages
=> What's on Next Month
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Diabetes - A Serious Problem in Australia
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Please forgive the personal perspective of this Newsletter. You see
I have diabetes and so do both my parents. In fact 5 consecutive
generations of women on my mother's side of the family have been diabetics
so you might say we have a strong genetic predisposition. I'm very
keen to make sure my children know as much as possible about having
a healthy lifestyle so that they can reduce their risk factors and
perhaps beat the genetic odds.
I don't want to scare anyone but the statistics tell an important
story...
Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in Australia.
For every known case of diabetes, there is one undiagnosed case.
It affects over 1 million Australians - 1 in 4 Australian over 25.
The number of people with diabetes has trebled since 1981.
If not controlled, diabetes can lead to: eye damage and blindness,
heart attack and stroke, kidney damage, damage to nerves in feet,
poor circulation, slow healing of wounds and infections, impotence
in men, and pregnancy complications in women.
That's the bad news!
The good news is that there is much more information available now
than ever before. Understanding and managing your risk factors may
delay or even prevent diabetes and early detection and good control
of the disease can reduce the risk of complications down the track.
HealthInsite has a large number of resources about diabetes that will
help you understand what it is and what you can do about it. In fact
we have so much information about diabetes that I've only included
a selection here but it's all categorised to make it easy to find
what you need.
Two of our partners deal specifically with this disease - Diabetes
Australia - Victoria and the International Diabetes Institute.
Diabetes Australia - Victoria at:
http://www.dav.org.au/
International Diabetes Institute at:
http://www.diabetes.com.au/home.htm
Many other partners include a range of excellent information on their
websites.
Diabetes Explained:
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/shortlinks/sLink.cfm?n=4&l=2
Diabetes Health Centre
http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?Section=diabetes
Diabetes - What you need to know (particularly good site for young
people)
http://www.cyh.com/cyh/youthtopics/usr_index0.stm?topic_id=1418
HealthInsite also has a number of topic pages available that you may
find useful including the following:
Prevention of diabetes
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Prevention_of_Diabetes
Diabetes statistics
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Diabetes_Statistics
Diabetes support services
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Diabetes_Support_Services
Living with diabetes
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Living_with_Diabetes
Diabetes complications
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Complications_of_Diabetes
Diabetes and Pregnancy
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Diabetes_and_Pregnancy
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Type 1 or Type 2 - What does it mean?
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You may have heard diabetes being described as either type 1 or type
2. But what's the difference?
Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas gland no longer produces
enough insulin to convert glucose into energy. This type of diabetes,
also known as juvenile-onset diabetes, accounts for 10-15% of all
people with the disease. People with type 1 diabetes
must inject themselves with insulin several times a day and follow
a careful diet and exercise plan.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, affecting 85-90%
of all people with the disease. This type of diabetes, also known
as late-onset diabetes, occurs when there is either inadequate levels
of insulin or insulin that doesn't work effectively in the body (insulin
resistance). It is most common after the age of 40, although the age
of onset can be earlier. There are strong genetic factors but lifestyle
factors such as excess weight, inactivity, high blood pressure and
poor diet are major risk factors. Type 2 diabetes may be treated by
dietary changes, exercise and/or tablets. Insulin injections are necessary
in some cases.
Of all permanent diabetes cases in Australia 10-15% are Type 1 diabetes,
85-90% are Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is the fastest growing
chronic disease in Australia.
Take a look at the following topic pages for more information:
Types of diabetes
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Types_of_Diabetes
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Diabetes - What are the symptoms? Are you at risk?
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Symptoms for Type 1 Diabetes may occur suddenly. If they occur please
see a doctor.
Excessive thirst
Frequent urination including bedwetting
Excessive hunger
Unexplained weakness and fatigue
Weight loss
Blurred vision
Vaginal discharge or itch in young girls
Nausea and vomiting
The symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes have a more gradual onset. They can
be easily missed or mistaken as part of the normal aging process.
If you have any of these symptoms see your doctor. Symptoms include:
Blurred vision;
Tiredness;
Urinating more frequently;
Feeling thirsty all the time;
Numbness and tingling in the feet or legs; and
Recurrent infections.
Many cases of Type 2 diabetes could be prevented or delayed through
simple lifestyle changes that lower the risks of diabetes and other
chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer. These
risks include excess weight, poor diet, inactivity, smoking and too
much alcohol. You should talk to your doctor if these risk factors
apply to you.
Several resources on HealthInsite can help you understand if you are
at risk and recognise symptoms.
How to recognise diabetes
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/How_to_Recognise_Diabetes
One-minute Diabetes Quiz
http://www.mydr.com.au/tools/diabetes-quiz.asp
Who should be tested for type 2 diabetes?:
http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?article=2883
Diabetic Retinopathy
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/shortlinks/sLink.cfm?n=4&l=3
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World Diabetes Day - 14 November 2003
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14 November was chosen as World Diabetes Day because it is the birthday
of Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best, first conceived
the idea which lead to the discovery of insulin in October 1921.
The logo for World Diabetes Day is based on the symbol of Yin and
Yang, representing combination of balance and teamwork. These are
the two key factors to effectively manage diabetes: a careful balance
of insulin, medication, diet and exercise is essential in order to
remain fit and healthy, and teamwork between health-care professionals,
colleagues, friends and family.
More information about World Diabetes Day is available from the International
Diabetes Federation at:
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/shortlinks/sLink.cfm?n=4&l=1
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Your Feedback
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We often receive emails asking for advice on the specific health conditions
or treatments. For example, this week one of our users asked for our
advice on an unusual combination of 2 different prescription medicines
to manage his condition which he feels will be more effective than
his current treatment.
HealthInsite was designed to provide Australians with access to reliable
health information and is not a substitute for services provided by
a variety of health professionals. We can't provide medical advice
but we will try and point people in the right direction to find answers
to their questions.
In this case we suggested that he look at information on the particular
medicines and
conditions mentioned in his email and provided the relevant links.
We then suggested that he discuss his concerns with his doctor.
We also let him know about the NPS Medicines Line, run by the National
Prescribing Service. This phone service provides advice about prescribed,
over-the-counter or complementary medicines and can be contacted on
1300 888 763. If he feels that he has experienced a side effect or
other adverse reaction to one of his medications he can report it
to the new Adverse Medicines Event Line on 1300 134 237.
*--------Adverse Medicine Events (AME)--------*
The Adverse Medicine Events (AME) Line is a new phone
service for people who suspect they have experienced
an adverse medicine event. If you think something has
gone wrong with your medicines you can get advice and
report the incident by phoning the
Adverse Medicine Events (AME) Line on 1300 134 237.
*------------------In Brief---------------------*
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Partner Spotlight
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Every month we include a brief overview of one of our information
partners. This month we'll take a look at the Child and Youth Health
website.
Child and Youth Health is a division of the South Australian Department
of Human Services. It's a government funded, not-for-profit service
which has been supporting parents and children of South Australia
since 1909 with a strong commitment to providing health and parenting
information based on the latest research and best practice. If you
live in South Australia you can find CYH in over 120 locations, in
metropolitan
Adelaide, main towns, rural communities and remote and isolated areas.
But in addition to providing health services in SA, the Child and
Youth Health website is a fantastic resource for families everywhere.
The site is divided up into 3 separate areas each designed to appeal
to their target audiences. Parenting and Child Health has over 300
topics with very practical advice for parents. Youth Health has a
funky design and covers such topic areas as drugs and alcohol, relationships,
healthy body, healthy mind and sexual health. As a parent of teenagers
I think this a great resource for them. The For Kids area uses primary
colours and lots of movement. It covers topics such as your family,
your body, your school, your safety and many others. There's even
a link to information for 'nearly teens' and it's all written in an
easy to understand style.
You can find Child and Youth Health at:
http://www.cyh.com/
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Latest Resources
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The HealthInsite team regularly adds new items to the database including
new information partners, new topic pages and news items. You can
find a list of new and updated material added to the database in the
past month at
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/search/newsletter_search.cfm?id=5
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Hot Tip - Topic Pages
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HealthInsite Topic Pages are one of the ways HealthInsite can help
you to easily find information on our partners' Internet sites. Topic
Pages usually include at least one (and usually two or all) of the
following:
- a brief introduction to the topic explaining what subjects are
covered by the topic, sometimes with a summary of key issues for the
topic
- links to subtopic pages and/or related HealthInsite topic pages
and/or information partner pages
- a list of links to HealthInsite information partner information
items on the topic, compiled automatically from a search of the HealthInsite
database.
HealthInsite topic pages are a good way to find all of the information
on a topic because the search included in them is a comprehensive
one created by our Editorial Team, saving you from having to think
about how to describe what you need.
You can find Topic Pages by following any of the navigation options
on every HealthInsite page - Conditions/Diseases, Lifestyle, Life
Events and Life Stages or Population Groups. You can also click on
the link to the HealthInsite Topics Map (in the left hand navigation
bar on every HealthInsite page), to find an A-Z list of links to our
main topic pages and their subtopics.
Not all of the information included in our database is covered by
topic pages, so if you can't find one, try doing a search to see what
we have. If we do have a topic page that matches your search, it will
be displayed at or near the top of the results lists so you can find
it easily. Otherwise, you can follow the links to our partners' pages
on your subject.
If you would like us to consider creating a topic page that we don't
already have, just send your suggestions to
mailto:healthinsite.feedback@health.gov.au.
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What's on Next Month
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There has been a lot of discussion in the media lately about the sometimes
poor quality of health information available online. Next month we
will look at how you can assess the quality of health information.
We will also look at where you can find reviews of the evidence for
treatments so you can make more informed healthcare and wellbeing
decisions.
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That's it for now. Have a great weekend.
The Editorial Team
HealthInsite
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